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Infusions

I've dabbled in making my own alcoholic infusions over the years. Pretty basic, add some stuff to a neutral alcohol (vodka is probably most common) & let the added 'stuff' infuse its flavor to the liquid.

I've made Limoncello & some sort of damson plum one a long time ago. My most recent (& current fave) is tea - put some quality loose leaf tea in some vodka (I typically use Costco brand) & let it set for an hour or so. Strain out & you have a tea flavored drink. Mix w/ some simple syrup & either mint or lemon & you have an ice-tini.

Any other ideas/suggestions?
 
We've done a variety of vodka infusions. The high point being bacon in my opinion. For me they don't seem to last though. After a couple weeks the flavors fade.
 
I tried a number of options a year or two ago. I found that the fruit ones I made weren't really worth the wait, and some of my more exotic ideas didn't work well (ginger, coriander, etc.). The only ones I thought worthy of further study were A) Basil and B) Genmaicha & Sesame. Actually, I guess the Rooibos one was kind of good, too.

Hm...
 
Very similar to the damson plum infusion I mentioned in OP. I'm going to have to look in to getting some of these sloe berries...

It is similar but the sloe/blackthorn is small, hard and sharp which gives a very tasty liqueur. I've made the damson before and it it bland next to the sloe!

Gareth
 
There's an Indian restaurant we go to that has infused vodka that I've copied a few times and it turns out great. Fill an infuser jar with Dried mango, crystallized ginger, and dried Thai chilies. pour in as much vodka as will fit. Let it sit for a day or two. I usually just mix it with a splash of Topo Chico or any type of soda water. When it gets down to half full fill it back up. I've replenished it with vodka four times before the flavor started to fade.
If you have the time, usually a couple of months, there are a few liqueurs I've made on this site http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueurs/flavors.htm that turned out really well. Definitely worth the wait. My favorites were the blackberry and the pomegranate liqueurs.
 
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